ARC Essentials: Penguin Teen

ARC Essentials is a series I've posts I've done wherein I interview publicists about how bloggers (new and old) should go about requesting those beautiful ARCs for review. I am so freaking excited to have Rachel Lodi, Digital Associate Publicist for Penguin, here today to talk about Penguin Teen. 

1. What should I include when asking for a review copy (Page view stats? Follower count? All social media accounts)?

When asking for a review copy, please use the forms on our Penguin Teen Tumblr page located here: http://penguinteen.tumblr.com/bloggers. There are 2 forms—a blogger registration form and a galley request form. Here, you can enter your stats (most important are Unique page views per month and social media reach). There is also an explanation section where you can elaborate. If you have registered your blog, the galley request form should be super easy, and you won’t need to enter much new information.

2. How long should I be blogging before I ask for a review copy?

We’re less concerned with the length of time that you have been blogging and focus more on the consistency of posts, social presence, and reliability. If you’re a new blog, it definitely doesn’t hurt to request!

3. Who should I contact about receiving review copies?

You should use the galley request forms on the Penguin Teen Tumblr first. I am the digital publicist, monitor these forms daily (almost obsessively!), and add all requests to separate spreadsheets that are specific to each book. When the time comes to begin a campaign, I will first look at these spreadsheets when deciding who to reach out to, so I highly encourage you to use the request forms.

4. Should I email an author about obtaining a review copy and have them forward my request onto their publicist?

I don’t recommend emailing the author since I would prefer you go through our channels (so nothing gets lost). If you do email the author, they will likely pass it on to the publicist or to me, but we wouldn’t want anything to slip through the cracks!

5. Do you expect me to review books I never requested, such as an ARC or finished copy I was sent but never asked for?

If we send you a book that you have not asked for, it usually means that we have looked at your past interests and preferences and thought that you might like the book. We do these kinds of mailings when we are looking for review coverage, so yes, we would love you to review it! However, if you don’t want to, you are not obligated.

6. When is the best time to post a review?

Right around the pub date is best. We like reviews to come out when the book is on sale, but coverage in the few weeks prior is okay too. If you review in advance, it would be great if you could mention that it is available for pre-order and then do another post (or social media mention) at the on sale date and say that the book is out now.

7. Where can I send in review links?

You can send them to me at rlodi@penguinrandomhouse.com.

8. Do you want to see all reviews I’ve done—positive and negative?

We always love positive reviews J. But you should definitely be honest in all of your reviews. If you feel uncomfortable giving a negative review and would rather do an interview with an author or run a giveaway instead, that is certainly fine.

9. Am I more likely to get approved if I request an eARC of a book instead of a physical copy?

That doesn’t really make a difference. It’s certainly helpful for me and cuts down on the number of things I have to mail.

10. When is the best time to request a book or be asked to be put on a list to receive a review copy?

When you’re using the forms, I can see the date that you have requested the book (and you only need to do this once!). It depends on the book when the campaign will begin/when I will begin contacting people, but I would say that you can feel free to request as far in advance as you would like, but note that I still won’t be contacting people about that book until about 2 months in advance.

11. Do you have a catalog mailing list for bloggers that I can request to be a part of?

We have a digital catalog mailing that goes out. Some bloggers may already be on this list, and we are not going to be doing printed catalogs in the future. I am compiling a list of bloggers who should be receiving this seasonal mailing. The fall 2015 one is next, so look out for that. If you are not on this mailing list, you can still request the pdf link.

12. If I want to interview an author or ask them to write a guest post for my blog, is it best to contact the author directly?

It is best to contact me, and I can help facilitate. Generally when an author gets a request, they will forward it along to the publicist or schedule it themselves, but we always want to be kept in the loop about these kinds of things!

13. Anything else you would like to add that you think bloggers should/need to know?

We very much appreciate all that you do, and keep it up! I look forward to working with you all in the future.

Thanks, Rachel!!!

And now, time for a giveaway! Want to win a package of 5 Penguin Teen books including:

Kalahari ARC

Mosquitoland ARC

The 5^th Wave pb

Half Bad pb

Dove Arising ARC

Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Winner must have a US mailing address / Must be over 13 to enter / The Irish Banana Review is not responsible for any unsent, damaged, stolen or lost prizes sent by a third party*